Does anyone want to crowdfund or take up a collection for the ABC and its still shivering staff at Parliament House in Canberra? Emma Alberici showed street cunning by remaining in the warmth of Sydney last night for Lateline and her grilling of Finance Minister turned “Economic Girly Man” Senator Mathias Cormann.

Voters and viewers preferred the real cooking show of Masterchef Australia on Ten last night to the version hosted by Joe Hockey and then Leigh Sales on ABC1. Joe’s half hour of bluster averaged 1.055 million national viewers, the hour of 7.30 from 8pm could only rustle up 827,000. Joe’s night, no matter how noisy was Ms Sales’ flame-grilling of the Treasurer. Viewers were turning off and thinking of ways to spend the $20,000 allowance and upgrade to an iPhone 6. The ABC would have been better off doing a live version of Mad As Hell from 8.30pm to give the budget the necessary context. Nine’s Reno Rumble and House Rules were well beaten by Masterchef Australia (which had its best night of the campaign so far) and look destined to bring up the rear from now on, making for a painful early winter for both networks. Seven was a weak third in the metros, a situation that will see another round of meetings today.

Nine won the metros, thanks mostly to a combination of the news and Love Child (1.207 million national viewers) and a weak effort from Reno Rumble in the metros and especially in the regionals. Seven won the regionals — just (especially in the main channels). Seven’s House Rules ended in front of Reno Rumble in the national rankings, 1.143 million to 1.007 million. Masterchef Australia was on top with more than 1.6 million people.

Do you know that the ABC has its own Struggle Street program on tonight? Its called The Weakly, sorry, The Weekly (AKA Randling) and it’s on at 8.30pm and hosted by Charlie Pickering. Up against the start of the final two episodes of Struggle Street on SBS, which I think will weaken in the ratings. Two hours is a lot to expect people to sit and watch continuously. Still, it will have far more relevance than what will be on the ABC at 8.30pm, or what we saw from 7.30 to 9pm on ABC last night.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (27.1%)
  2. Ten (24,9%)
  3. Seven (23.5%)
  4. ABC (17.8%)
  5. SBS (6.7%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (19.6%)
  2. Ten (19.4%)
  3. Seven (15.5%)
  4. ABC (12.1?%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.4%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7mate (4.3%)
  2. GO (4.0%)
  3. 7TWO (3.7%)
  4. Gem (3.6%)
  5. ABC2 (3.0%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 1.656 million
  2. Nine News — 1.615 million
  3. Seven News — 1.409 million
  4. ABC News – 1.276 million
  5. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.262 million
  6. Love Child (Nine) — 1.207 million
  7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.169 million
  8. House Rules (Seven) — 1.143 million
  9. Nine News 6.30 — 1.061 million
  10. Budget 2015: Treasurer’s Budget Speech (ABC) — 1.055 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 1.212 million
  2. Nine News — 1.162 million
  3. Seven News — 1.079 million
  4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.061 million

Losers: Australia (except a small group of retailers and small business) from last night’s Budget, ABC on air stars and not so starry people who froze outside Parliament last night for the ‘look’. It made the ABC look silly.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News — 1.162 million
  2. Seven News — 1.079 million
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.061 million
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight  — 989,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 951,000
  6. 7 pm ABC 1 News — 885,000
  7. Budget 2015: Treasurer’s Budget Speech (ABC 1) — 733,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 679,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 607,000
  10. 7.30 (ABC 1) — 600,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 325,000
  2. Today (Nine) — 287,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC 1,  102,000 + 32,000 on News 24) — 134,000
  4. Mornings (Nine) — 124,000
  5. The Morning Show (Seven) —119,000
  6. Studio 1o (Ten) — 69,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox 8  (2.6%)
  2. LifeStyle , TVHITS  (2.0%)
  3. A&E (1.7%)
  4. UK, Sky News, Disney Jr  (1.6%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Wentworth (SoHo) — 118,000
  2. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 90,000
  3. The Simpsons (Fox8) — 70,000
  4. Game of Thrones (showcase) — 68,000
  5. Back Page (Fox Sports 1) — 65,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) and network reports.